Critically Stable
by Alirocknroll22
Summary: Charlotte "Charlie" Slaine is a doctor. Not an average one, but a doctor nonetheless. She had finally found a job, but too bad this job was for SHIELD and they are in their most dire need. Can a young woman with some...odd abilities help SHIELD and the Avengers during such a time of crisis? Lets hope so. *Will continue into AOU. Eventual Avenger/OC.*


Jobs in New York are weird. They do things a whole lot differently than when I was North Carolina. Instead, they approach YOU, not the other way around. Crazy.

I lazily sat in the most secluded seat at the coffee shop and placed my mocha on the table. I have always loved this coffee shop because they always made a habit of placing the morning paper next to the creamers and sugars. This place definitely knows what's up. Grabbing the paper, I skimmed through all of the boring but important columns and focused my time on the medical columns.

I guess you can call me a doctor of sorts, since I have no specific profession. Instead I have a PHD in all of them. Ok, that was a hyperbole, but I do have all of the PHDs in practical medicines. I'm…gifted at the art of medicine. Maybe that is why I am sitting at this coffee shop, waiting for the moment to go to my future employers place and have my inevitable interview. These people have been trying to contact me for weeks and kept trying to set a date as soon as possible. They must really want me, I mean, with my expertise I'd want me too. I'm not getting a big head, no. With some of my _abilities,_ I can be a great asset.

Just as I was getting into an article about some recent discoveries in the oncology field, I heard someone say my name and the sound of the chair across from me scraping the floor and someone sit in it. I looked up to a smiling face of a man in a _really_ nice suit. A suit that meant business. He had light brown hair, blue eyes, and a smile that said "I'll be nice, but I'll get what I want". It wasn't unnerving, just unexpected.

"Uh, hello?" I mumbled.

"You are Ms. Charlotte Slaine, correct?" Well, he stated more than asked.

"Yes! Yes. I am. You can call me Charlie." I stuck my hand out for him to shake. Instead he kind of looked at it like there was poison laced between my fingers. Or that I just recently stuck my fingers in my nose, which I haven't done…in public.

"Ma'am, my name is Agent Coulson. I work at Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. I am here about a position in our facility that we would like to offer you."

My brain was fried. Agent? Strategic Homeland exacerbation hamana hamana? What? How does one respond to that? Well I'll tell you. Not in the way I did.

"That's a mouth full. Is there an acronym of some kind I can use?"

He smirked, as if that was a common question, which I assumed was.

"We call ourselves S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Ah! Much better. Now this position. What job are you offering?"

He raised his eyebrow at the question. I guess he was wondering why I wasn't trying to force more out about S.H.I.E.L.D.

"We are aware of your abilities and we would like to make use of this in our environment. The people we have working with us need a doctor like you, so we'd really like for you to consider or offer." His smile didn't seem sincere at all. Gosh. He looks really nice, but he is totally unnerving.

"I don't have a choice in this do I?" I knew the type of businessman he was. This guy definitely worked for a company that would probably have me sleeping with the fishes or is familiar with the term of getting wacked.

"No not really."

"Cool. So when do I start?" I made sure to smile nonchalantly just to confuse him. Of course I'm going to take this really dangerous job. I live for danger. Oh who am I kidding? I cried during _My Dog Skip_.

"Right now actually." He returned the careless smile.

That is when my grin dropped. What the hell did he mean right now?

"What?"

Mr., I mean, Agent Coulson walked outside, obviously expecting me to follow. Which I did.

I followed him to a really nice, sleek black car that also reeked of business. He opened it and gestured for me to get in. Which I also did. I am so not making any smart decisions today. But, hey, whatever. I live for danger.

"Where are you taking me?" My nervousness began to build. I am now REALLY starting to see the potential danger here.

Alright fine. I'll admit it. I'm not really here to get into dangerous situations. I am actually really scared of him telling anyone about my abilities. That would ruin my life for sure. I would be put into labs and be tested on for the rest of my life. I am so not going to go through that.

"Our base of operations."

"Oh. Fancy."

I looked out the window and could see the city slowly start to disappear. More land started to show up between buildings. After about 30 minutes, we were in a field with a helicopter running in the middle. I knew what that meant and I wasn't very keen on the whole flying thing.

"Is this base in the sky?" I gulped.

All I could hear was him chuckle.

"I guess you could say that."

I timidly got onto the helicopter, hoping one of the blades don't come flying off or I don't later fall out. Trust me. That would hurt a lot. I clicked the harness/seat belt thingy across me and swallowed hardly. The doors of the helicopter closed, sealing me in the flying death trap so no one could hear me scream. And now I am seeing the inevitable, a…manila folder?

"Ms. Slaine. I think it would be in your best interest to read over these documents."

I swallowed hard, again. I grabbed the folder tightly and brought it slowly to my chest. I opened it as if I were diffusing a bomb. This S.H.I.E.L.D. organization is getting sketchier by the second. Taking out the papers with some trouble-I'm nervous, ok? - I read over the foreboding documents.

With a gasp, I choked out "Are you sure I should be reading this?!"

Coulson just smirked at my blanched face.

The manila folder contained documents about some wild people. Wild, dangerous people. Papers on Iron Man aka Tony Stark, Captain America, who is actually alive, the Hulk, a spy named Hawkeye, an assassin that calls herself Black Widow, and, the craziest of them all, the Norse god of thunder Thor. The last page was a written plan bolded with the words **AVENGERS INITIAVTIVE**.

"We need your help." Coulson had lost his smirk.


End file.
